Scoreboard Gourmet

Nike pulls Hyperdunk ads - you guess the reason

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The world's largest sportswear and shoe company Nike Inc pulled advertisements that some bloggers had dubbed anti-gay.
Controversy arose last week over poster and billboard ads for Nike's new Hyperdunk basketball shoes showing a basketball player's face in the groin of an opponent who is dunking a ball above him.
The print ads, accompanied by the slogan, "That ain't right," were dubbed homophobic, as well as offensive to African-Americans, by some bloggers and critics.

You know, SG saw these ads the other day and found them very strange and hard to comprehend. Gay/anti-gay did not enter my mind but messy certainly did. No wonder Nike had no problem pulling them.

In a statement, says Reuters, Nike said the company would drop the ad campaign "to underline our ongoing commitment to supporting diversity in sport and the workplace." But the ad in question, Nike said, is based "purely upon a common insight from within the game of basketball -- the athletic feat of dunking on the opposition, and is not intended to be offensive."

Last week, privately-owned candy maker Mars Inc pulled a television ad for its Snickers candy bar, according to civil rights group The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, which had claimed the ad stereotyped gay men. Last February, Mars also pulled an ad that had run during the Super Bowl after complaints by gay advocacy groups.

hmm...what category here? I like this story but maybe it doesn't fit

Pink MLB - not sure I'm into it

Excepted from Mark Newman's MLB.com story MLB to go pink on Sunday

What began two years ago as a bold statement has grown into a full-scale baseball tradition, driving massive proceeds to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation to fight breast cancer. It is now officially and dramatically how Major League Baseball celebrates each Mother's Day, as hundreds of players again will be swinging pink bats this Sunday and giving everyone, including fans, the opportunity to get involved.

Those signed bats will gradually show up in coming weeks at the MLB.com Auction, with all proceeds again going to Komen. In addition to promotional support, Major League Baseball Charities has also committed $50,000 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure through the "Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer" program.

During games played on Mother's Day, players will wear pink wristbands and pink titanium necklaces made by Major League Baseball licensee Phiten. Pink ribbons will be displayed on player uniforms, as well as those of all on-field personnel. The breast cancer awareness theme will be carried throughout the game, including pink ribbon logos on the bases and commemorative home plates, and pink dugout lineup cards.

According to komen.org, an estimated 182,460 cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in American women in 2008 alone. The five-year survival rate for all women diagnosed with breast cancer is 90 percent.
This means that 90 out of every 100 women with breast cancer will survive without a recurrence for at least five years. Most will live a full life and never have a recurrence. The chances of surviving are better if the cancer is detected early, before it spreads to other parts of your body. In fact, when breast cancer is confined to the breast, the five-year survival rate is 98 percent.
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So here are my questions - is breast cancer the biggest threat out there to women's heath or do the breast cancer people just have really good PR? What about obesity? Maybe Mother's Day And Father's Day should be Eat Healthy Days. Isn't heart disease the number one killer of women?

I'm not trying to ignore the women who have breast cancer, obviously I think that's a big deal; just wondering if we shouldn't be expanding the pinkness to include more widespread problems?
There are more than 153-million women in the U.S. Nearly 83-million are mothers.

Become a member of the MLB Players Alumni Association today

Has anyone else gotten that email from mlb? anyone else find it somewhat confusing? anyone who is not mlb alum, I mean.

if I get the membership card that's suitable for framing can I use it to go to alumni events?
do any actual alumni feel scared about the opportunity for alumni like me to "access former players at alumni sponsored events"
or how about my ability to "forward memorabilia and/or fan mail to alumni members"
what does that mean? I can sign a shirt and send it to Reggie Jackson? he is going to love that.

MiLB weekly promotions story

I cannot believe I have not yet mentioned what just may be the best weekly MiLB story out there: Benjamin Hill's Top 10 upcoming promotions aka What's going on this week in the Minors? Here's the link to this week's story: Benjamin Hill's Top 10 Upcoming Promotions

Benjamin is not limited to food promotions, by the way. It's a fun read.